Three-For-All Salmon for the Fourth

For Independence Day 2008, I accidentally created what I think is a new poached salmon recipe and want to share this with you. My guests raved about it -- and, really, I had no idea the results would be so good.

You need a long, rectangular stainless steel pan, like the chafing trays professional caterers use. (You don't need the whole set-up -- just one of the trays.) I have picked these trays up over the years from restaurant-supply stores. They come in varying depths. The one I used was about three inches deep. The tray needs to be long enough to handle a large salmon filet. You can probably double-up aluminum foil pans, like those used for roasting turkeys, but they may not be long enough for this recipe.

Purchase three skinless salmon filets -- nice, big ones, about 16 to 18 inches long. You're going to invest about $45 to $55 in salmon for this dish, but it will serve plenty of guests, and this will still be more affordable than any other seafood dish you might serve at a party.

Slice a bunch of celery on a sharp diagonal line, as thin as possible, and lay this as the bed in the steaming tray.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place one of the filets on this bed of celery.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Slice four fresh carrots on a sharp diagonal, also thin. Lay them evenly atop the filet.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Place the second filet on top of the carrots.

Slice one large cucumber into thin, diagonal pieces. Lay them evenly atop the filet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Place the third filet atop the cucumbers.

You have now stacked three filets. They are going to steam together and adhere to each other.

Into the pan pour about two cups of dry white wine and two cups of water. Do not cover the salmon completely with the liquid. Sprinkle in some bay leaves, some dill spice and some mustard seed. Throw in a sprig of rosemary.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and slide the pan into the oven, reducing the temperature to 375 F.

I think my three-story salmon steamed in 30 minutes. Use a thumb test to see if the top filet has firmed up. Overcooking is always a concern. But I think, since this dish is based on oven-steaming, you have less chance of that goof-up. Your kitchen will smell much better than it does when you try to pan-fry or broil salmon indoors.

I thought I would remove each filet and serve them separately. But I discovered that the salmon filets became one during the cooking. I left it alone to cool, then covered it with plastic wrap and placed the pan in the refrigerator overnight.

But first . . . before putting the poached salmon in the 'fridge . . . .

Drain all but a few drops of the grand-smelling liquid out of the pan and into a pot. Strain out the spice, bay leaves and seed. Reduce the broth for about an hour over low heat. Let that cool and use it the next day as a base for a sauce vert. The sauce vert can be made in a blender with the cold reduction, a skinned and chopped cucumber, some watercress, dill and parsley, and mixed with some mayonnaise to the consistency of a creamy salad dressing.

This topping was served cold along with the chilled salmon, which appeared to one guest to be the "largest, fattest salmon filet I've ever seen." It was actually, of course, a three-in-one, with some surprising mild crunch (carrots and cukes) between the slices. Use a very sharp (and wet) knife to cut slender (one- to one-and-a-half-inch wide) pieces for your guests. Each stack should hold together nicely (sans tooth picks) and taste delicious with the sauce verte.

Bon appetite.